offices, they ought to be proud of the distinction.
Retrograde movement to have one post office instead of two
Other resolutions followed, one of which, was “That the Postmaster-General be respectfully urged to keep open the branch offices or some of them till 9 o’clock in the evening.” Mr. Putland also moved “That the Postmaster’s attention be called to the desirability of some improvement in the delivery of letters at Grand parade and Eversfield place.” Mr. Walter said he seldom got his letters at his office in Norman road before half-past nine. [But as Mr. Walter resided at the Undercliff, where the delivery was much earlier, it must have been his own fault in having his letters addressed to Norman road. Mr. T. B. Brett said as he resided in Norman road, he had much more reason to complain of the late delivery in that district; yet, as Norman road was said by some of the Hastings people not to be in St. Leonards, and by others – even by Mr. Langham himself – when discussing the question of railways, to have no locus standi at Hastings, the postal question could hardly affect him, seeing that by his living in Norman road his residence was nowhere [Laughter]. Mr. W. Reid in moving a vote of thanks to the Mayor, suggested a penny subscription to buy him a hammer, for he was sure the Mayor’s knuckles must be sore in thumping the desk to obtain silence [Renewed laughter]. Mr. Harvey would throw out a hint to his Worship that it was a very unusual thing for the chief magistrate of any borough to sign a memorial that was likely to come before him to be adjudicated upon. He was sorry the Mayor so far forgot himself but [sarcastically] he was sure it would not happen again. [Cheers and laughter]. As affording support to those who opposed the removal of the Hastings post-office, the letters posted there in one week were 6,714, whilst at the nine receiving offices the total was but 3,979.
Tumult against the removal of the Post-office
Another Meeting took place on the 2nd of June, this time by the Town Council and at the Town Hall, at which the public had been informally invited to hear a statement by Mr. Newman, one of the surveyors of the General post-office. It was to the effect that Mr. Woods, the Hastings postmaster, had applied to remove the post-office – firstly, because the premises were too small to enable him to make the alterations which the postal authorities required of him; and secondly, because the pitch of the house was so low as to be positively unhealthy. [For such work as that of a general post office the old house at 4 George street was a miserable hole, as my three years’ experience therein enables me to testify. It was also infested with rats, mice and beetles. See Brett’s Reminiscences. Mr. Wood had spoken of a house in Wellington place which he would like to occupy, and he (Mr. Newman) had come -
